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MATERNAL HEALTH INITIATIVE

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STARTED: Incubation Program 2022

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Sarah Hough

Co-founder, Director of Research and Strategy

SEED GRANT: $220,000

MONEY FUNDRAISED TO DATE (AUG 2023): $257,569

TEAM SIZE (AUG 2023): 3.5 FTE, 3 volunteers

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Ben Williamson
Co-founder, Director of Partnerships and Field Operations

WEBSITE: https://www.maternalhealthinitiative.org/

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Producing transformative benefits to women’s health, agency, and income through increased access to family planning.

CURRENT OR PREDICTED IMPACT:

  • Initial estimates suggest that improvements to contraceptive counseling could have a cost per DALY averted competitive with GiveWell top charities, with additional large impacts on women’s autonomy. 

  • They anticipate providing more than 1 million women with high-quality contraceptive counseling within five years, providing significant benefits to health, agency, and income.

COST-EFFECTIVENESS:

  • They estimate a cost per DALY averted of $166, with a cost of $4 per woman provided with informed choice around contraceptive use through high-quality counseling.

SIGNIFICANT UPDATES: 

  • Currently midway through a dual-arm pilot project in Northern Ghana, working in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service and two local partners to evaluate two evidence-based, innovative approaches to incorporate family planning guidance into postpartum care across 6 facilities.  

  • On track to finish a second proof of concept project reaching 6 districts across 2 regions in Ghana in September 2023 with two innovative approaches to postpartum care. 

  • Completed a successful proof of concept project training health care workers in 6 facilities in Northern Ghana in March-May 2023.

  • Conducted robust qualitative surveying in order to inform program design and development, interviewing over 200 clients and 60 providers to better understand family planning practices and preferences, quality of care, and barriers to access.

  • Met with government, potential local implementation partners, and local stakeholders on scoping trips to Ghana and Sierra Leone, where they engaged with a variety of local NGOs, potential partner organizations, and healthcare providers.

ACHIEVEMENTS: 

  • Our first proof of concept project will impact 4,000 women receiving care across 6 facilities in Northern Ghana.

  • Spoke at 2023 EA Global in SF.

  • Received more than $30,000 in additional funding from individuals outside of the CE network within their first month. 

  • Awarded an Honorable Mention for their submission on the potential impact of family planning interventions to the Open Philanthropy Cause Exploration Prize.

ROOM FOR MORE FUNDING IN 2023:

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